Submarine elevator or escape buoy



Feb, 2, 1932. s, E 1,843,613

SUBMARINE ELEVATOR OR ESCAPE BUOY Filed July 5, 1929 l Z0 5 Z6 6. 43 l Patented Feb. 2, 1932 SIMON LAKE, or MILFORD, comvncrrcu'r sosmnmn ELEVATOR on EscArE 13110? I Application filed July 5, 1929. Serial No. 376,220.

This invention relates to a submarine elevator or escape buoy, that is to say, a device whereby ascent from and descent to a submerged or sunken vessel may be accomplished without'risk of life and without discomfort. 7

The apparatus of this invention is in the nature of an improvement on the device of a somewhat similar nature which forms-a to part of the invention disclosed by my patent for combined surface and submarine vessel, No. 650,7 58, granted May 29, 1900.

One object of the invention is to so construct the elevator cage or buoy, and the cavity or recess provided in the vessel therefor, of such conformation that, when the buoy has ascended and is returned to the vessel, the cooperation of the respective parts will be such as to insure the proper seating of the buoy within its cavity in such relation to the deck of thevessel that a desired air and water-tight seal may be caused to function between these parts when required.

Another object of. the invention is to provide the cage or buoy with such chambers orv compartments and communicating covered hatches that .safe passage may be had between the cage or buoy and the vessel with which it is associated. A further object is to provide in apparatus of this kind, a water-ballast compartment and means for supplying air under pressure and water to such compartment, whereby the buoyancy of the apparatus may be so regulated as to control its ascent and descent.

With these objects in View, the invention consists in the combination with a submersible vessel, for example a submarine boat,'of a submarine elevator or escape buoy, com- 40 prising, inter alia, a casing of substantially conical form adapted to seat within a cavity or recess of similar form in the deck or superstructure of the submersible vessel, means including preferably tubular cables connected with'the buoy and vessel being provided forcontrolling the ascent and descent of the buoy, and the casing being divided by appropriatepartition members into a p11]: rality of compartments; or chambers include ing a working chamber in which persons.

may be safely confined duringascent and (or) descent of the buoy, a passageway affording communication through suitable hatches between such chamber and the vessel, and means for sealing such passageway when in position for such communication against the entrance of water, and a ballast compartment, all as I will proceed now more particularly to explain and finally claim.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of the superstructure of a submersible vessel with the device of my invention applied thereto, a part of the device being broken away to disclose a portion of its interior. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

The elevator cage or buoy proper has a casing 1 preferably having the conformation of the frustum of a cone. This buoy fits relatively snugly within a similarly shaped cavity or recess 2 built inthe superstructure 3 of the submersible vessel 4 and extending to the deck 5 of the main pressure resisting hull thereof.

- The casing 1 is interiorly divided by suitable partition members, including a' preferably cylindrical member 6, into a working chamber 7 a passageway 8 and a ballast compartment 9. The partition member 10, which forms the deck of the working chamber 7, is provided with a hatch 11 having a hatch-cover 12 which affords communication between the chamber 7 and passageway 8.

The cylindrical member 6 is of such diameter as to receive the hatch 13 of the vessel, including its cover 1 1 within it, and the bottom or small end of the buoy is provided with a suction cup device similar to thatdisclosed in my copending application for patent for submarine diving bell and rescue ap paratus, filed July 5, 1929, Serial No. 376,221 and operable in substantially the same manner. This suction cup device comprises an annular channel member 15 provided on the outer faces of its flanges with annular lip pieces 16, preferably of soft rubber, these lip may be broken by opening a-valve-18 and" permitting water to enterthe suction device. With the buoy seated and sealed, asde-' scribed, the hatches 11 and 13 afforda means, of safe communication between the hull of the submersible-vessel and: the cage or "buoy. Inorder that the cage or buoy may be guided and controlled during, its ascent and descent, I provide. a plurality (two: being.

shown) of cables 19 and 20 wound'upon drums. 2.1,. 22 and 23, 241, respectively. The drums 21 and. 23 are arranged in: suitable sealedchambers 25 in the. buoy, andithe drums 22 and 24. are arranged in similar chambers 2.6 in the vessel. As shown-,.the cables19 and 20 are preferablytubular and are in communicating connection with theinteriors of their. respective drums which are also tubular. By these means air maybe fed from suitable storage inthe vessel to the chamber 7 through a pipe 27 and byway of dru1n22. and tubular cable. 19- to' drum 21,.

and thence through a pipe-'23, its escape from. which may be controlled by a valve 29 Air under pressure may be fed also through a pipe '30,:drum 24;, tubular cable-20,dru1na23- and apipe 3lto the passageway 8"andbal last" compartment 9 by way of valve-controlledpipes :32 and33, respectively.

Each of the drums 21, 22, 23- and 24a; provided with. suitable gearing. 34:- and hand cranks, as shown, or other operatingmeans,

either-manually or power operated,.whereby the:pay1ng-out and. hauling in of the cable's and. the ascent'and descent/of thebuoy may be suitably controlled.

The ballast compartment may be fed with and exhausted of waterby way of a. valvecontrolled pipe 35.

The casing 1 is. provided with. a preferably domed head 36 havingahatch 37 and hatch cover 38 by means of which latter men may enter and leave the working chamber 7 'from above. Also the head 36 is provided with a =periscope 39 through which observations :IEnay be made when the'buoy is near'the surace.

Hinged dogs 40 provided with threadedoperating rods 41 extending into the hull of the vessel and operatedxby means ofhan'd wheels 42, furnish. a means whereby'the-buoy may bemechanically locked within its cavity 2, andbywhich it may bereleased' It will bee-understood that. all ofthehatch covers will be providedwith operating means whereby they may be opened and closed either from within or from without. Such means being well known, they have not been illustrated in the drawings.

Assuming that the elevator cage or buoy is locked in its cavity or recess 2, as shown in-Fig. 2, and that asuction-gripis maintained by the device 15-16, an :ascent to the surface may be made in the following manner:The members of the crew who wish to aseend enter chamber 7 through hatch 13, passageway, 8 and hatch 11, and close the hatch' covers'll and 12 behind them. Then they signal for thedogs 40 to be released, and after that has been done they admit water to the suction device: 15-16 by opening; valve 18, thlusbreaking the suction grip; and freeingrthe buoy. Air pressure is thenadmitted to passageway 8: by way ofpipes -31 '32.. If: the-ebuoy doesnot rise, wateruis blown; from the ballast compartment 9, through. pipe S5,:byadmitting: air to the" compartment through pipe 33. Buoyancy-ofthe buoy hav-- ingthus been: increased, it will float upward, its ascent beingxcontrolled and regulatedby means: oisthercables l9 -and 20 either from within the buoy by operation-of the drums. 21 and 23, or from' within thevessel by. operations of. the drums 22 and 2.4.- Arrived at the surfaceythe men may. openahatchs37 zand:

leave the-buoy."

To descend to? the-submarine' vessell itIis-onlynecessaryto .close-hatch37, flood the ballast compartment?) andzhaul in on the cables-19.andi20. As the buoy descends :a constant; supply of air is: furnished to: 5 the passageway 8 to prevent-the waterfrom ex-r ertingztoo great azpressure upon and leaking. past hatchecover;12.:. In this *returning. of the :buoy etc :the: submarine vessel the function of; its -.frusto -conica1 shapeiwil l become apparent... If an UIIClQIi 'W'iLlZQIT current should carry theubuoy away; from the vessel, the hauling-in of the cablesawil ligradually draw the buoy toward the cavityi2 land it will .not hangzlon. the deck of the superstructure :but will eventually center itself'to'its seat in the cavity: I

This complemented: s conical. conformation of the buoy and cavity is also of advantage in freeing the buoy; Thereis nozfrictionibetween the "buoy-and the walls.i of litslrcavity for. the reasonithat as the buoy ascends the space between 'thewbuoy-and the walls of itscavity. increases and-permits the water to rapidly replace the bulk; of "the:- buoy.

An adequate supply ofai'r underrpressure may/be carried in'tan ks in either the 'b'uoy or' submarinevessel; onboth or may' be supplied from 'a surface vessel'.

It will be seen that l provide apparatus by means of whichthecrew of asunkensubmarine may be saved without ai-d from" oth'ers, except that they' be picked up from the buoy when it is at the%su'rfaee.- Also, =l

provide apparatus whereby thecrew of a submarine boat resting upon the bottom may rise to and descend from the surface at will to take observations, obtain munitions and supplies and do other necessary things, without risk of life or detection, and without discomfort.

Various changes are contemplated as within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is 1. A submarine elevator or escape buoy in combination with a submersible vessel, said buoy comprising a casing of inverted frusto- 5 conical form, a cavity in said vessel of complemental form, means within said casing defining a working chamber and a passageway communicating therewith and a ballast compartment, said passageway extending through the lower end of said buoy and means surrounding the lower end of said passageway for connecting said buoy air and water-tight to said vessel, said connecting means being properly seated by cooperation of the complemental frusto-oonical surfaces of the buoy and cavity.

2. A submarine elevator or escape buoy in combination with a submersible vessel, said buoy comprising a casing of inverted frustoconical form, a complementally formedcavity in said vessel, partition members within said casing defining a working chamber and a passageway and a ballast compartment, a hatch in the partition member between said working chamber and passageway, a hatch in the deck of said vessel within said cavity, said hatches and passageway afiording communication between said vessel and working chamber, and means carried by said buoy and surrounding the lower end of said passageway and adapted for cooperation with said deck whereby said buoy may be connected to said vessel and said passageway sealed air and water-tight when said hatches 4.5 are open, the complemental conformation of said buoy and cavity providing guiding means whereby the sealing means may properly engage said deck.

3. A submarine elevator or escape buoy in combination with a submersible vessel, comprising a casing provided with a working chamber and a ballast compartment, means for admitting water to and exhausting water from said ballast compartment, and means including a tubular cable connected with said buoy and vessel for supplying air under pressure to said ballast compartment and for controlling the ascent and descent of said buoy.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this third day of July, A. D. 1929. SIMON LAKE. 

